Dhandeewarar Temple

Purathanam: In the Three Ages, a monster named Somukasuran conquered the world and the heavens with his tawa power and went to Brahmaloka. Only Brahma and the four Vedas resided in Brahmaloka. Knowing that Somokasuran was coming, Brahmadeva turned the Vedas into a book and only disappeared. Seeing that there was no one in the Brahmaloka, Somukasura angrily took the four scriptures and set up his abode in the ocean. Seeing this, Brahma went to the temple and appealed to Lord Easwaran about what had happened.

Easwaran entrusted the task of retrieving the Vedas to Lord Mahavishnu. Mahavishnu took the incarnation of Machcha avatar and killed Somukasura and redeemed the Vedas and handed them over to Brahma in Brahmaloka. Brahma converted the Vedas, which were in book form, to the old state. The Vedas asked Brahma to bless them with demonic doshas. Brahma said, If you meditate and worship Easwaran, who appears spontaneously in the place called Taragavanam in the world, your asura dosham will be removed. Taragavanam got the name Vedasreni due to this divine incident which took place there. Vedasreni is now known as Velachery.

In the early days, a monk named Mirukandu repented to Easwaran that he should have a child. Easwaran saw the superiority of his meditation and told him that they would give birth to a son and that he would live only till the age of sixteen. A son was born to Mirukandu Thavasirester and he was named Markandeyan. As Markandeyan approached the age of sixteen, his parents became very anxious. Knowing his parents condition, Markandeyan said, I am going to go to Tirukkadaiyur to worship Easwaran to save his life from Yamadharmar. As Yaman appeared, Markandeyan held shivalinga firmly that Yaman tried to pull Shivalinga too, along With Markandeyan.Burned out of fury, Easwaran appeared and kicked Yaman and snatched Yamans weapon called Thandam. So Yaman became inactive, that he was unable to perform his deeds.

So Yaman decided to go for a pilgrimage to Kailaya hill to meet Lord Easwaran,to get back his thandam. Naradamunivar stopped Yaman and asked him to go to Vedasreni and also explained it`s speciality - Vedasreni is the place on the planet, where Easwaran appeared on his original form and spiritually blessed the thirty-three Gods. Instead of going to the kailayam, you can meditate and worship Lord Shiva at Vedasreni, for your atonement. Easwaran came down to Earth, in response to Yamadharman`s meditation and gave him back his weapon named Thandam and accepted his atonement. Yaman said to Easwaran, Lord!! I have been reborn by their grace. I pray that the place would be named in its memory.

From that day, this place is named and called as Thandeeswaram. The main deity Lord Easwaran is remembered with the name Thandeeswarar. Kaliyuga sages, yogis, Siddhars and sages appeared and developed the religion of virtue, justice and devotion in this place. This temple was built and renovated during the Chola period, when kings also appeared. It is given as a subdivision of the Jayangondan Chola region and as a Brahmadayam in the Puliyur lineage. This is known from the excavations of the Director of Archeology, Mr. R.

Nagaswamy. Appaya Dixit, a great Shiva devotee of the seventeenth century, was born in Adyapalam, next to Arani. He used to go on pilgrimage to every Shiva temples, seeking Lord`s blessings. Once, when he came to Thandeeswaram, he found Lord Shiva alone without Goddess Ambikai. So he arranged a waterfall @ theerthakulam and consecrated Goddess Ambikai`s statue along with Lord Thandeeswarar.

The theertham was named as Appaya Theertham, at present it`s known as Aplankulam. Goddess attained the name Karunambigai. Hence the temple is been known with the name ` Shree Karunambigai sametha Thandeeswarar` Since the punishment to Yemadharman stated at Tirukkadaiyur was meted out at Thandeeswaram, devotees coming to this temple are blessed with good health & prosperity that they perform various rituals like Ugraha Shanti, Sashtiyaptha Purthi, Bhimaratha Shanti, Vijayaratha Shanti, Sadabhishekam, Kanakabhishekam, Magudabhishekam, Poornabhishekam. Ayushhomam, with the blessings of Shree Karunambigai sametha Thandeeswarar Moolavar-Thandeeswarar is faced towards the east and Goddess Ambika- Karunambika towards the south. Special pujas are performed six times per day. Ushat period from six to seven o`clock, Kaalashanthi puja from eight thirty to nine thirty. Uthchikaala puja from ten thirty to eleven fifteen.

Pradosha period from four thirty to five fifteen. Sayaratchai puja from six to seven and Arthajam from eight fifteen to nine o`clock at night.